25 Beautiful Homes

Jonathan Bisson was not looking to move home until a medieval tithe barn caught his eye. ‘My wife, Louisa, was idly browsing online and she showed it to me,’ recalls Jonathan. ‘I couldn’t stop thinking about it and went for a viewing the next day. It

When Olya and Philip Lammas spotted this elegant home on the outskirts of a town in Kent they weren’t looking to buy somewhere so grand. ‘But once we’d seen this place, it was hard to consider anything else,’ says Olya. ‘It has an abundance of light

As Sally and Rob Appleyard navigated their way through country lanes to view a remote farmhouse, the pair couldn’t help but wonder why the estate agent’s details lacked any photographs of the interior. ‘As soon as we arrived, we were captivated by bo

Having lived in their home for 10 years, Emma and Nick Berry felt the need for a change and started to think about moving house. But after a chance meeting with interior designer Caz Myers from Caz Myers Design, their plans radically changed. ‘We lov

Finding a truly dilapidated apartment in central Paris is no easy task, but architect Philippe Harden was determined to unearth a diamond in the rough. ‘I had renovated my previous home on a relatively small budget and this time I was keen to take on

Diane Brittain is a true country girl at heart, steeped in the world of racehorse training. But living beside a busy stable yard can be less than relaxing, so, seven years ago, she decided she wanted to find a more peaceful rural home for herself and

Searching for a home with more space than their small flat, Ed O’Donnell and his partner, JP Banks, viewed a seemingly endless selection of rather dreary properties in their quest for a place to renovate. ‘We wanted to stay in Brixton, because we lov

Appearances can be deceptive – and that is certainly true of Karen and Peter Smith’s home in Surrey, where they live with Karen’s teenage daughter Sienna, and Peter’s grown-up sons when they visit. You might expect cosy, cottage-size rooms filled wit

When John and Victoria Evans began searching for the perfect family home, they had a clear vision of what they were after. ‘We wanted a property to renovate – one that was a cut above the standard terraces on offer,’ says Victoria. ‘We were renting l

This modern house on a quiet, cobbled street in Porto, Portugal, was built by architect César Machado Moreira with family life in mind. He lives here with his wife Marta, who co-runs interior design company Moopi and childrenswear company Piupiuchick

When Lucy and Ludo Mackenzie began to feel the pinch in their cosy urban cottage, they knew it was time for an upgrade. But finding their dream home proved to be less than straightforward. ‘After months of searching, the only house we could find that

Having decided to move to Norfolk following a life-changing event, Catherine Davis felt her heart soar when she caught sight of a tiny advert for an elegant period property in a magazine. ‘On paper, it looked incredibly promising,’ she says, ‘and the

When Gayle Rinkoff first viewed this Victorian house with her husband, Karsten, she braced herself for a negative reaction. As a fashion and celebrity stylist with a love of colour, Gayle is strongly influenced by aesthetics – follow her on Instagram

Dutch boating enthusiasts Margriet and Gerard Burgers had long dreamt of moving to an area where they could indulge their passion. And their chance came when they both gave up their jobs in 2015. ‘We wanted a change, so when we saw this canal waterfr

With its original panelling, sash windows and wide wooden floorboards, artist Anna Toppin was immediately captivated when she first viewed this Grade II-listed house in Essex. And when she saw the garden annexe that would become her studio, she was s

Nine years ago, Erik Odell-Romanoff, his wife Tori and their baby son Harry upped sticks from London and moved in with Tori’s sister in rural Hertfordshire while their house underwent an overhaul. They moved back into the property nine months later,

When Alison and Steve Chipperfield were considering buying a 17th-century cottage in Devon, their only reservation was whether it could accommodate the whole family at Christmas – a crucial factor for a couple with six grown-up sons between them. The

When Eliza Price told her mother that she and her husband Jeremy were buying a rambling Edwardian house, she tried to warn them against it fearing that it was too big a commitment to take on. ‘To be fair, she did have a point,’ says Eliza. At the tim

When artist Deborah Pook was house hunting, she was looking for a property that ticked two boxes. She wanted a home with a large living area, where both she and her two sons, Corin, now 18, and Daniel, 15, could entertain friends, and a room full of

One life-changing event is a test of most people’s resilience, but when Jane Whitfield put her conventional flat in west London on the market to search for a larger property, she was also in the process of adopting her son, Alexei, from Russia and ma

Wanting to move from a flat to a house in the same area of southeast London, Lu Fitoussi-Findlay was looking for a project. But even the estate agent was concerned about the property she and her husband, Raphael, settled on. ‘It was a wreck. It hadn’

With an interiors career steeped in colour, fun and seasonal updates, Charlotte Gueniau was never going to live in a lacklustre home. And after a recent refurbishment, it is filled with even bolder, brighter tones, along with statement features inclu

This issue we bring you a taste of Gallic chic courtesy of Villa La Coste, the modern Provençal retreat hotel at Château La Coste, a world-renowned sculpture park and vineyard outside Aix. The bedrooms here are an excellent example of how to soften d